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Analyze Qualitative Data + Themes From Data: Describe Develop

This document discusses analyzing and interpreting qualitative data through coding, description, and theme development. [1] Codes are used to build description and identify themes from the data. [2] Description provides detailed accounts of people, places, events, while themes aggregate similar codes into major ideas. [3] Findings are represented through tables, diagrams, figures and narratives before being interpreted, validated, and reported.

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Quan Nguyen
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39 views

Analyze Qualitative Data + Themes From Data: Describe Develop

This document discusses analyzing and interpreting qualitative data through coding, description, and theme development. [1] Codes are used to build description and identify themes from the data. [2] Description provides detailed accounts of people, places, events, while themes aggregate similar codes into major ideas. [3] Findings are represented through tables, diagrams, figures and narratives before being interpreted, validated, and reported.

Uploaded by

Quan Nguyen
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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ANALYZING AND INTERPRETING QUALITATIVE DATA

I. How do you use codes to build description and themes?


Analyze qualitative data  Describe + Develop themes from data

+ Description
 Detailed rendering of people, places, events in a setting
 Reading & Coding data  Analysis
 Detail is important (interviews + observations + documents =
portrait of individuals/events)
 Detailed information = Visualization

 Elements of Description in a Narrative Passage:

+Broad-to-narrow description: Midwestern city  campus 


classroom  incident
+ Situate readers in the context

+ Vivid details for description:


“Korean War military semiautomatic”
“thirty-round clip”
“thirty caliber ammunition:

“lively” action verbs + movement-oriented modifiers &


adjectives: shoved, hastily departed, swept, jammed, etc.

“fact” report

Quotes = emphasis & realism in the account

+ Themes
 Similar codes aggregated together
 Major idea in database
 Core element in qualitative analysis
 Types:
+ Ordinary themes: themes that are expected to find
+ Unexpected themes: themes that are surprises and
unexpected
+ Hard-to-classify themes: overlapping themes/ vague ideas
+ Major and minor themes: representation of major ideas &
minor, secondary ideas in database

Tile theme/Ordinary theme/Major theme: SAFETY


Mentioned by several participants

Multiple participant perspectives = Evidence for themes


Additional subthemes/ minor themes: SAFETY OF
STUDENTS IN THE CLASSROOM; TYPES OF SERVICES
Short quote = Evidence for themes

Quote = participant voice + realism

 Realistic presentation = One-sided evidence


 Realistic presentation = Contrary evidence (not support or
confirm themes)
 Saturation

+ Layering and Interrelating themes


?: To add additional rigor and insight
 Layering themes:
_ Major & minor themes
_ Organized into layers
_ Elementary  Sophisticated
_ Layering the analysis/ First- & Second-order abstraction:
minor themes  major themes  broader themes
 Interrelating themes:
_ Interconnects themes chronologically

II. How do you represent and report findings?


+ Representing findings
 A comparison table:

 A hierarchical tree diagram:


_ Represent interconnected themes
_ Broad  Narrow

 Figures:
_ Connections among themes
 Map

 A demographic table:
_ Personal/demographic information

+ Reporting findings:
 Narrative discussion: summarized details/findings

_ Narrative elements:
1. Dialogue as support for themes
2. Participants’ native language
3. Metaphors & analogies
4. Quotes from interview & observations
5. Multiple perspectives & contrary evidence
6. Vivid written details
7. Tensions & contradictions in individual experiences

III. How do you interpret findings?


+ Summarize findings
_ “Discussion” section
 Recap of major findings
 Restate individual research questions
 Provide findings for each question
 Overview of the findings

+ Convey personal reflections


_ Reflect & remark data meaning
+ Make comparisons to the literature
_ Interpret data in view of past research
_ Qualitative findings vs. Reported views of social science concept
_ Personal views + educational/social science term

+ Offer limitations and suggestions for future research


_ Limitations/weaknesses of study (data collection, unanswered
questions, sampling issue)
_ Recommendations for future research (extensive data, additional
questions)
_ Implications (new planning, new practices)

IV. How do you validate the accuracy of your findings?


Check accuracy/credibility of findings
 Triangulation
 Member checking
 Auditing (external audit: hires an outsider to review the
study and report back, i.e. strengths & weaknesses)
Typically asked questions from auditor (Schwandt & Halpern,
1988):
o Are the findings grounded in the data?
o Are inferences logical?
o Are the themes appropriate?
o Can inquiry decisions and methodological shifts be
justified?
o What is the degree of researcher bias?
o What strategies are used for increasing credibility?

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